ARTICLES

The pop song “Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies contains the catchy line “Honey, honey, ah, sugar, sugar, you are my candy, girl, and you got me wanting you.” Although they weren’t singing about beverages, “honey, honey” is being used as a “sugar, sugar” substitute by beverage-makers and health-conscious consumers in hot and iced teas, water, and more.

New and innovative products have helped contribute to SKU proliferation throughout the beverage industry, particularly within the craft beer and craft spirits markets. However, as these craft brewers and distillers look to push the envelope with their new releases, ingredient suppliers are looking to provide them with the tools they need to maintain that edge in the market.

With a call-out in a phrase like “as American as apple pie,” it is not a surprise that apple has become a staple in the American diet. However, apple’s popularity does not end with food selections. The fruit also has found a home within the beverage space.

As a protest against British taxation, Samuel Adams and other colonists dumped chests of tea into Boston Harbor in what would come to be known as the Boston Tea Party on Dec. 16, 1773. However, from a beverage perspective, if someone hypothetically tasted the harbor water after the Boston Tea Party, this event could have been viewed as an early experimentation of blending tea and tea flavors in Puget Sound water.

It was only a matter of time before hot and spicy ingredients made the transition from food to beverages, according to Lisa Demme, marketing director for Fona International, Geneva, Ill. Now, there’s no slowing the flavor profiles down, suppliers say.

Events

Beverage Industry’s Craft Beer Webinar will offer insights about the current state as well as what is on the horizon for the U.S. craft beer market. Learn more about how the segment is helping the overall U.S. beer market, how craft brewers are embracing growth opportunities and what innovations brand owners are doing to entice consumers

Attendees will learn about the current protein landscape, its complexities and tradeoffs, sensory challenges in protein formulation and how to optimize for flavor and functionality, the latest nutrition science research and its implications for product positioning and how to protect and grow your profitability by minimizing price volatility and supply risks associated with commodity proteins

The July 2015 issue of Beverage Industry includes a cover story about Tito's Handmade Vodka, as well as our State of the Industry articles and articles about water enhancers, High Brew, and beverage offerings in foodservice. Check it out today!